Little Treasures
by sarajm
Summary: A place for my little one-shots. These will mainly be Merlin-centric. I'm marking it as complete since each chapter will stand on its own. Chapter 4 - Little Merlin wants to surprise his mother. Chapter 5 - Merlin remembers.
1. Harmony

_**Summary: Little Merlin learns something new.**_

I quite like the idea of Merlin having other talents than magic, and music would be a nice one, especially for a little boy.

I wrote this for a challenge on the Heart of Camelot website; use of the word 'wistful'.

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or Hunith

Thanks to LyricalSinger and Moon Fox for all their help.

And special thanks to Caldera32 for the perfect Cover Art!

*** O O O *** O O O *** O O O *** O O O ***

"Mother, what were they doing?"

Hunith smiled at her small son as he skipped along, far too excited to simply walk.

"Merlin, they were singing," she answered in amusement, knowing that was not at all what Merlin was asking.

"Yes, but they were all doing something different, not like when we usually sing at campfire," the small boy persisted.

"It's called 'harmony', Merlin. Good singers, like those minstrels, are able to listen to each other and sing different notes together to make a song prettier.

"It was just…. It was just….oooo…., I wish I could do it too," pined the youngster, shaking his head wistfully.

"Well, if you're a good boy and finish your chores, then maybe tomorrow I can teach you before bedtime," promised Hunith.

*** O O O *** O O O *** O O O *** O O O ***

The chores had never been done so well, and with nary a hint of magic, and so it was that Merlin sat by the fire, listening raptly as Hunith added a simple harmony while he sang his favourite ditty in the clear, sweet voice that his mother so loved.

"Mother, I want to try it too. Can we sing _your_ favourite song now?"

Hunith chuckled, "Well that one's a bit complicated, but you can try if you'd like." She started her melody only to stop in shock after a few lines, tears sparkling in her eyes on hearing the beautiful, haunting counter-melody coming from her oblivious boy.

Merlin looked up in alarm, and reaching up to dry her eyes with his fingers, the youngster said, "Mother did I do something wrong?"

"No sweetling, you did everything just perfectly," she said, engulfing the boy in a tight hug and then setting him back in front of her.

"Would you like to do that again, Merlin?" she said, putting her hand under his chin.

"Oh yes please, as long as it doesn't make you cry."

*** O O O *** O O O *** O O O *** O O O ***

And so began a favourite pastime that would brighten things for the little family during many a hard time.


	2. Like a Son

**_Summary: Gaius gives something special to Merlin._**

I wrote this for the 'Tokens of the Past' challenge on the Heart of Camelot website: _Write about an artifact or heirloom that has been passed down through the generations. Just make sure it's of your own creation, not something we already saw on the show._

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or Gaius

* * *

Gaius opened his eyes slowly, taking in the familiar sight of his workshop, his old eyes finally meeting the anxious young ones of his ward.

"Gaius, you're awake!" said Merlin thankfully.

Gaius took in the tousled hair, the bags under his eyes and the rumpled blanket on the back of the chair where Merlin had obviously spent a vigil.

"You've been there ever since I took ill, haven't you?" asked the physician as, not for the first time, he felt an overwhelming rush of affection for the young warlock.

"Of course I have!" Merlin answered, taking his mentor's gnarled hand and giving it a squeeze. "You've done the same for me often enough."

Gaius smiled, knowing he was more than happy to care for the boy, for reasons far beyond his official capacities as physician and guardian. Sitting up slowly, he decided it was time to act on those feelings.

"Merlin, would you please get that box from the top shelf over there?"

The warlock soon retrieved the item, curiosity written on his face. When he tried to give it to Gaius, the physician said, "No, I want you to have this."

Merlin opened the box, and gazed inside in wonder as Gaius explained, "This writing set has been handed down in my family for generations. We have long been academics. Also, although not strong, we have always had magic. This inkpot was brought back from Arabia, and this silver quill was enhanced by my own grandfather to never dull. My boy, I've come to think of you like a son, and I think it quite fitting that I pass these on to you."

* * *

Several days later, Gaius went to wake the young man, and was pleased to notice that although his room was its usual chaos, there in a privileged place right beside Merlin's beloved dragon carving sat the carefully placed writing set.


	3. Magic is Not Allowed

**_Summary: Merlin is upset that he is not allowed to use his magic_**

I wrote this for the 'Full Spectrum' challenge on the Heart of Camelot website, with randomly selected Colour: Yellow; Character: Merlin; Emotion: Sad

Rating K+ (death of a child)

Thanks to Caldera32 and Aerist for their help and encouragement

* * *

Merlin sighed as he dismounted from his horse. This was all so stupid! He understood – really, he did - why he could not use magic to save the child. Everyone had seen her fall, and had then heard Gaius' diagnosis once he arrived to examine her in the horrible minutes immediately afterward.

Then Gaius had dashed his last hope by asking him - right in front of her mother - to ride out post haste to find the elusive yellow-flowered blossom that would numb her pain and ease her passing. He couldn't very well linger after that now, could he?

He kicked at the ground sadly before turning towards where he knew the herb would be hiding. At least here in the forest he was hidden enough that he could use his magic to speed his search.

As he put the plant into his satchel, he could only console himself with the thought that someday this type of situation would be just an unhappy memory.


	4. Surprise

**_Summary: Little _**_**Merlin wants to surprise his mother**_**_._**

While I was working on 'Magic is Not Allowed' as my entry for the 'Full Spectrum' challenge on Heart of Camelot website, I was on the Chatroom of that site and was given a couple of other ideas using the same randomly generated items. Finally, I decided to write these up too. This idea came from ExcaliburMaiden.

Colour: Yellow; Character: Merlin; Emotion: Sad

* * *

"Merlin, what was that noise?" called Hunith, slowly sitting up in her bed.

"Ooo I fell down, and they're all broken," came the sad voice of her little son. "And I wanted to do you a surprise to make you feel better!"

"Well, you've been such a good boy while I was resting, that I DO feel much better already."

"Really?" His brilliant smile lit up his small face and melted her heart as it so often did, chasing away the last remnants of her headache.

"Now, what have you got there?"

"I picked these for you," he said, proudly holding up a bedraggled fistful of bright yellow dandelions.

The child frowned when he remembered the broken stems though, and with a flash of golden eyes, the wildflowers became whole again.

"Merlin!" said Hunith warningly. But whether it was due to his startled look of guilt, or the smudge of yellow dandelion dust on his cheek, she could only shake her head in fond amusement. Taking him by the hand she simply said, "Well now, I guess we should find a vase to put that in, shouldn't we?"


	5. Reminisce

**_Summary: _**_**Merlin remembers**_**_._**

This is the third idea (from Aerist this time) for the 'Full Spectrum' challenge on Heart of Camelot website.

Thanks to my beta lyricalsinger for her help.

Colour: Yellow; Character: Merlin; Emotion: Sad

Rating K+ (character death mentioned)

* * *

Merlin paused as he ground the yarrow, exactly as he'd been shown by his beloved mentor all those years ago.

It had been over two years since Gaius had passed on peacefully in his sleep, but for some reason this most basic of Merlin's tasks as a physician always reminded him of the kind old man, and still caused a pang of sadness and loss in his heart.

As he put his pestle back to work on the yellow herb, the warlock smiled. His memory of Gaius became happy once more, as he remembered how proud the physician had been at the ceremony when Merlin had finally been able to take his place beside Arthur as Court Sorcerer and First Advisor to the King, the long years of hiding finally a thing of the past.


End file.
